Alice In Red
by Unsaid Goodbyes
Summary: “If I cannot have Wonderland,” She giggled darkly, “Then none of them shall have it either.” Being around insanity for so long can bring nothing but madness. OOC, AU. Rated M for Gore.


A/N: Hey people. I know I've been writing a lot of one-shots lately, but I will update my other stories soon. This is a semi-quick idea that came to me, because the title of this story was something in a dream of mine. If you want to know about it, go to my blog. Link is on my profile. I hope you like the story. So, onto it…

Summary: "If I cannot have Wonderland," She giggled darkly, "Then none of them shall have it either." Being around insanity for so long can bring nothing but madness. OOC, AU.

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**Title: **Alice In Red

**Rating: **T

**Author: **Breathless Tomb

One-Shot

**3****rd**** Person's POV**

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Since her second adventure, Alice had taken to frequently visiting Wonderland. It had become like a home away from home. She became distant to her old friends, not interacting very well with normal girls and boys. She could barely stand to be away from Wonderland. It was her mind's escape—her refuge when things became too unbearable to handle.

But overtime, it became apparent how Wonderland was warping her. Her normal family knew of the place she called 'Wonderland' as she would constantly tell them stories of her adventures. But being around insanity for so long can bring nothing but madness.

It was a subtle change in her personality at first, almost too small to see. But sometimes, when the moon or sun played on her face just right, and if the day was just the right temperature, you could see a tiny twinkle in her eyes that bizarrely twisted her features. Shockingly. It was difficult to see, but over time, eventually it was obvious to everyone. And as time went by, the worse she became.

She began to talk in the strangest riddles, with no rhyme or reason. She walked in a way that was quite out of the ordinary, though there was no way to explain it with words. She laughed at the most inappropriate times, yet always seemed to produce the queerest reasons for her laughter.

Even her physical appearance began to change. Her normally sea blue eyes began to morph, so that her pupil was much larger than usual, with a thin rim of startling ice blue surrounding it. Her fine, golden hair was now curiously a platinum-blonde colour, and her roots were the same colour as her irises.

Her family did not like her new attitude one bit. It was a sick, gruesome change in her normally innocent disposition. Her sweet, childish smile was now one of malicious lunacy. Alice had changed, and no one wished for her to continue to change.

So one day, Alice's mother banned Alice from ever going back to Wonderland. It was not as if she could control Alice from visiting her 'imaginary land', but Alice had a rather large mouth for a girl of her size—figuratively speaking of course, her mouth was normal sized—and tended to spill her most cherished secrets at the most inapt times.

Little Alice—though she'd grown quite some bit since her first visit to Wonderland—was furious. And her insanity only increased this rage she held. Disobedience was the only answer she could think of. She sat with Hatter one day, sighing in aggravation.

"Mother doesn't wish for me to visit anymore," She huffed that day, twirling a tiny spoon in her tea—though she did not touch the spoon, she simply twirled her finger and the spoon span in a circle—as Hatter applied butter to the top of his hat, trying to patch up a considerably miniscule hole.

"You know Alice," Hatter said, taking a delicate sip of tea, "Your mother may be right. Perhaps you have outgrown Wonderland."

Alice's eyes widened, "But Hatter! I cannot simply _outgrow_ Wonderland. I belong here," She paused, her eyes watery, "I am understood here, not like back home."

Hatter made a knowing face, "See, you just called it 'home'. _That_ is your real environment. Think of Wonderland as a vacation. You cannot simply stay here forever."

Alice raised her chin arrogantly, "But I could always ask Time to stop ticking. Besides, we both know he likes to turn back at times. He is quite fond of me." Her eyes were challenging, "Wonderland has no _forever_. Only _always_."

"You do have a point," Hatter admitted, "But all the same, you are not from here. If you could only see yourself now," He shook his head forlornly, "Why, you're as mad as I am!"

Alice giggled, "I've always been mad, haven't I? If I wasn't mad, I wouldn't be here." Hatter sighed. He could see he wasn't getting through to the blonde girl.

"Alice," He said sternly, "You must leave soon. Wonderland is not a place for you. You have outgrown us."

She was shocked, speechless for a few minutes. Hatter actually felt a bit worried when he saw betrayal and anger flutter in her wide icy orbs. Then suddenly, everything was wiped clean, and a tiny smile found its way onto her face.

"How can you outgrow a place? Age has nothing to do with where you can stay," She took a thoughtful pause, placing her thumb and index finger underneath her chin, "Unless you are a child and you cannot get into a bar. But then you have _outshrunk_ a place, not outgrown."

The Hatter once again shook his head sadly, "Alice, can you not see that though Time continuously ticks, I do not grow nor shrink? I do not age. I stay the same, as does everyone else in Wonderland. _You_ grow and age though, because you are still a part of your original realm. Even if you were to stay here and never go back to your home, you would still age until you died."

Large crocodile tears dribbled down Alice's cheeks, "But Wonderland constantly grows and changes! You don't understand Hatter, I _need_ to be here!"

"Go Alice. Go back to your home."

"This is my home!" She screeched, but nevertheless, she stood sharply up and ran from Hatter's yard, knocking over several cups of tea in the process. Hatter sighed as he watched his dear friend tear into the forest, sobbing in confusion and hatred.

He would miss her.

She wasn't the first mortal to visit Wonderland and she certainly wouldn't be the last, but she definitely was the most memorable. Wonderland was a place to learn, though many did not believe it. To learn about yourself and life _itself_. Most children learned everything they needed to learn after they escaped Wonderland for the first time. But not Alice.

No, Alice returned. Even after everything she'd been through, she came back to learn more. She was a unique and curious girl, a refreshing change. She returned time and time again, becoming a treasured friend for the inhabitants of Wonderland.

But she could not overstay her welcome. Though it was sad to do, the Wonderlanders knew her time was up. It was time for Alice to leave and put everything she learned to use. The only one of them who disagreed was the Cheshire Cat. He never did explain his reasoning, but he constantly said Alice shouldn't be run out of Wonderland.

But the Cat always was a strange one.

The Mad Hatter sighed again, pouring himself a new cup of tea. Now that Alice was gone, Wonderland would have to prepare itself for its next guest—whoever that may be. Life would become dull again without Alice to shake things up.

***

She was shaking in fury. She couldn't just _leave_ Wonderland. It was her home. They couldn't just expect her to continue on as if nothing had ever happened. She couldn't just do that. That was like asking a fish to stop swimming.

She would not eat nor sleep, continuously planning things out in her mind. The normalcy of her home realm was discomforting. The fact that everything was in its proper place was causing her to lose the slightly bit of sanity she had. _Your home in Wonderland_, she reminded herself, _not Earth_.

She was searching desperately for a loophole, some way to get back to Wonderland. But over and over, she came up empty handed. There was no excuse, no way to go back without consciously disobeying Hatter, which she hated to do.

"No. No. This will not do," She muttered to herself, sitting on the edge of her bed. The moon hung in the sky, shinning down on her silvery hair, "There has to be some way."

Revenge began to linger in Alice's thoughts. Why wasn't she allowed in Wonderland when others were? It was simply unfair. She loved Wonderland as much as any of them. It was her home as well as theirs. _They were robbing her of her home_.

"If I cannot have Wonderland," She giggled darkly, "Then none of them shall have it either."

***

Hatter sat at the top of his table that day. A rumour had been going around Wonderland that the next visitor had been chosen. The thought amused him, but only slightly. Before Alice, he would've been excited for the new arrival. He would've been thrilled.

But now…there was hardly anything. No excitement, no anticipation. He was bored, half hoping the rumours would be wrong. He didn't feel that it was right to find a new mortal child so soon after Alice's departure.

"I told you Alice shouldn't have left," came a voice from one of the trees. Hatter didn't look up; he kept spreading jam onto his piece of toast.

"Hello Cheshire," He said formally, though acting as though nothing had happened. He glanced up. A pair of golden eyes and a grin floated in mid air over one of the branches. Slowly, a body began to shape, forming the violet and pink ever-changing-coloured-striped cat.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," The Cat chuckled, his eyes rolling around in his head.

"I do not regret telling Alice to leave," Hatter stated firmly, looking away from the Cat. He would miss her, but he did not feel the least bit repentant for her telling her to go live her life.

"_Oh, but you will."_

But when Hatter looked back up to ask what that meant, the Cat was already gone, as quickly as he had appeared. He blinked. Unless Alice was being murdered right now in her world, he would not ever think to himself that it was a bad idea to let her go.

He sat there for a full sweep of the wind, as Time was not ticking at the present moment. Suddenly, there was a noise, and Hatter watched as a dark figure walked out of the woods. _So soon?_

"Showtime," He mumbled, putting on his best face. He was just about to start singing when a light shone down upon the figure.

"Alice?" He gasped in astonishment, "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to—"

"I know what you said Hatter," Alice cut him off, waving a hand in front of her face, "I just didn't get to say goodbye to everyone."

The Mad Hatter watched Alice as she glided forward, taking a seat next to him. Something about her scared Hatter infinitely. Her pupils had shrunk, so now her irises were more than just a rim. They were a flashing, frozen blue. Her hair was lighter too, nearly silver now and pin straight, tied back with her original pure white ribbon.

But it was her smile that really frightened him. A wide, dangerous, _mad_ smile that sent chills down his spine. What had being away from Wonderland _done_ to her?

"I missed you Hatter," She said, though strangely now she pronounced his name 'Hatt-ah', "I thought we could have one last cup of tea, for old time sake." Hatter nodded, his trembling fingers pouring them each a glass.

Alice brought the cup to her lips, sighing in contentment as the familiar hot liquid spilt down her throat. She unexpectedly giggled. Hatter kept a close, unsure eye on her. She grinned wickedly, her smile full of secret promises.

Suddenly, she slammed her tea cup down onto the table. It smashed instantly into a hundred jagged pieces. The force of the crash shook the table, causing her spoon to clatter to the floor.

"Oh dear me, it appears my spoon has fallen," Alice gasped, "Could you perchance pick it up for me?" She widened her doe eyes, looking as sweet and innocent as ever, though Hatter could see the craze behind her eyes.

"Of course…" Hatter mumbled, bending down to pick up the silverware Alice's expression changed drastically once Hatter took his eye off her. Her lips turned downwards in a scowl, her eyes flaming—and actually flaming, as can only happen in Wonderland.

Her dainty fingers wrapped around a large piece of broken china, twisting it in her grasp until the sharp end was aiming downwards. Hatter's pale, long neck was exposed. Alice eyed in hungrily, raising the dagger-like object before piercing it through the flesh and sinew.

He didn't even have time to scream, but the pain he felt before he died was indescribable. The china acted like a tack, pinning Hatter's neck to the table. Crimson blood was splattered on Alice's hand and dress, tainting the once snow white and light blue robe.

"Well, it was nice having tea with you Hatter," She snickered madly, hoping off her chair. Hatter's hat fell off, open-mouth, onto the floor, catching the beads of blood that trickled off the table. The smell of rotting death and rust was thick in the air.

Alice chuckled again, "I think it's been awhile since I had a nice chat with the March Hare."

***

The March Hare was having a stressful day. Though he was having the same week as every other creature in Wonderland, he was taking it the worst. His emotions were the most in-tuned with him than anyone else. His sadness, anger, and guilt was nearly overwhelming him.

Today was no different for the jittery Hare. His mind was off in the clouds, thinking of things that only increased the stress. He was almost ashamed of himself. _Sick masochist_.

The forest lights dimmed as he hopped along the copper brick trail. Looking up into the sky, the Hare could see the twin suns darken. Confusing. The Hare was quite sure it was nowhere near night-time. Though, then again, what did he know? He was mad.

The thick strands of ivy twisted along the contours of the rocks and moulding trees. The branches stretched out menacingly, curling into talons, curving into themselves. A sole creature besides the Hare himself lingered in the forest, perched on a bristly bough. It was the body of a teapot, but a tiny turtle head poked out of the clay, smiling languorously.

"Hello little Teatle," The Hare cooed, smiling. The Teatle purred, its voice small and scratchy. It slipped down the branch, into a little hole in the tree side, hidden away in the darkness. The Hare chuckled and bounced forward, stepping off the path and onto the cool grass which pushed through his toes.

"Don't be afraid," He whispered kindly, "We can be friends! You can even be my pet." He beamed, "I'll call you Thomas."

He stepped closer and closer to the tree, sliding further into the darkness. The Teatle stopped making noises. The forest was engulfed in silence again. Hearing a sound behind him, the Hare span around, taking a hesitant step backwards.

He felt something push down underneath his foot before two metal jaws clamped down on his leg. He shrieked as the spikes tore through his delicate fur, embedding deep into the bone and tissue. He squeezed his eyes shut, sucking in a sharp breath.

He continued gasping for breath as tears marred his usually smooth hair. Collapsing to the ground, the Hare could feel the darkness wrapping itself around him. He was about to let himself fall into the deep abyss when he heard the peculiar sound of a young girl giggling.

The sound was like ringing bells, and _oh so familiar_. The Hare looked up, trying to convince himself that it was only his insanity trying to conjure up something real to hold onto.

He was wrong.

His blonde friends stood there on the path, the Teatle in her hands and a grin on her face. The Hare was filled with confusion, not understanding why Alice was simply standing there.

"Ingenious, isn't it?" She asked, the smile pulling higher, "Using a rabbit trap? I'm glad you saw the Teatle, I was almost afraid my plan wouldn't work."

"What?" The Hare gurgled, blood dripping from the corner of its mouth. Alice frowned, stepping forward until she was right in front of him. She knelt down.

"I'm going to miss you Hare," Alice said solemnly, "I'm sorry you have to suffer. The trap only caught your leg—by accident of course, I meant for it to catch your throat." She paused, "I could end it for you. My last favour for you. Would you like that Hare?"

The Hare thought for a moment. There was no doubt in his mind that he was dying. His mind was getting fuzzy and his body was beginning to spasm. He didn't want to, but he had no choice now. He needed to die _quicker_. He couldn't stand the throbbing pain any longer.

"Please," He rasped, "I'll do anything. Please. _Kill me_."

Little Alice smiled, "Then tell me where the White Rabbit is. I can't for the life of me find him. Clever little bloody devil," She smiled wider, baring two rows of glistening teeth, "Please excuse my foul language. I'm simply so infuriated."

The Hare didn't know what to do. The last thing he wanted to do was betray his old friend, but the pain was nearly unbearable. Thoughts flickered through his head. _Did he want Rabbit to feel this pain as well? _Why, he wouldn't wish this on his worst enemy. Alice glowered, getting impatient. She grabbed the top of his injured leg and squeezed, drawing a howled sob from the Hare.

"The Duchess!" The Hare cried, "He went to see the Duchess!" He wept now, in shame and ache, "Please stop! Please end this torture!"

She smiled, pulling something from the pocket of her pinafore, "Your wish is my command." And with that, using the same razor piece she'd used to kill Hatter, she slit the Hare's throat. His garnet blood split down his neck, staining the grey fur with a river of cascading ruby.

Alice scowled, remembering something from before, "And his name is Jones. Not Thomas."

And with that, the ten year old girl turned on her heel and marched off in the direction which the Hare had come from, her pretty black Mary-Jane's leaving bloody footsteps, which quickly vanished into the air.

If Alice had cared to look back, she might've noticed how the copper brick road had begun to darken, until it was nearly black. Or maybe she would've noticed how—curiously—the small, innocent holes in the tress began to mangle and deform; little black splinters becoming enlarged fangs.

But, of course, she didn't care. Alice had a mission, and she would not—under any circumstances—be deterred from it.

***

The White Rabbit scurried down the boardwalk. The open sea was just beside him, and he could clearly see the water splashing against the cliff side. The ocean was an unusual vibrant violent, but…it was Wonderland. Questioning things here got you nowhere.

It _was_ an off day though, even for Wonderland. There was only one sun now hanging in the sky, the other having deflated and was now lying in a mess on the top of the exposed sea.

"Darn it," The Rabbit mumbled, picking up his speed, "I'm always late. I've got a pocket watch, yet I'm somehow still always behind schedule. I'll have to talk to Time about this!"

He rounded a corner, and his relief at finally arriving was quickly wiped clean when he saw the house. It was horrible. The Rabbit's jaw fell loose as he looked upon the scene. The windows had been smashed in, and the door hung from the last hinge, having been forcefully pried open.

But it was silent. Silent enough to pass for deserted. The Rabbit crept forward, careful to make sure he didn't make too much noise. The door creaked open, and the sight before him was so horrific that the White Rabbit had to clamp his hands down over his mouth to force the scream back.

The Duchess' body sat on her same rocking chair, cradling a small baby close to her chest. There were only two problems with this scene though. First, the baby had a six inch butcher's knife implanted into its forehead, and its mouth was frozen in a muted scream. Second, the Duchess' head was on the other side of the room, her face pulled into a terrified expression.

"Dear me, that _is_ a dreadful sight, isn't it?" came a voice from behind him. Looking over shoulder, the Rabbit smiled in extreme relief to see an _alive_ familiar face.

"Oh Alice!" The Rabbit sighed in reprieve, "We must get out of here Alice! The Duchess has been around for so long! Even though she's not the most pleasant person to be around, I don't know anyone who'd do such a ghastly thing to her! And a baby!" At this point, he lowered his voice, "Something evil is lurking in Wonderland."

Alice shook her head in disagreement, "Not evil Rabbit. Just misunderstood. And angry." She smiled abruptly, "But you have to admit, whoever did this is an artistic genius." Her voice rang with pride.

"Alice, whoever did this is clearly a monster!" The Rabbit said, shocked at what the young girl had said. Alice's eyes narrowed and a thin snarl slipped through her lips.

"You're wrong," She growled, "How dare you judge someone so quickly! You know _nothing_. You're no better than the person who did this."

The Rabbit stood, speechless. He was shocked, insulted, and a bit sickened. But, suddenly, something caught his eye. Something that should've caught his eye when he first saw Alice, but, his shock at seeing the Duchess had blinded him.

"Alice…" The Rabbit started tentatively, "Why are your robes covered in blood?"

Alice sighed and smiled wistfully, "The hardships of being an artistic genius. The clothes always get so messy with each finished project."

The Rabbit stared in aghast, his eyes large. "You did this," He gasped, stumbling backwards, "You killed them." He could see it now, the craze in her eyes, her demented smile.

"But Rabbit," She laughed, "You said it yourself! The Duchess is _extremely_ unpleasant to be around." She crinkled her nose in distaste, "To be honest, I'm surprised no one got rid of her before me."

The smiling Alice skipped over to the rocking chair, pulling the knife out of the baby's head. She began to play with the steel, balancing the blade on the top of her fore finger.

"What's wrong with you?" The Rabbit whimpered, his eyes fixed on Alice. He could see why the day had been so odd now. Nothing like this had ever happened in Wonderland.

And Wonderland had literally been around _always_.

"I'm not sure," Alice shrugged, twirling the dagger, "May I was born this way. Maybe I finally snapped. But to be frank, I don't really care. It's better this way." She grinned.

"You were my friend," The Rabbit said, trying to buy himself a few more minutes to escape. Alice's eyes went cold and she grasped the hard wooden end of the knife.

"You can't be friends with a monster," She said simply, before throwing the knife dead on where the Rabbit was.

And we all know what happened at that point.

***

Alice sat down on a rock, observing the horror before her. She was seated high up on a cliff, overlooking Wonderland. The height made her feel a sort of power. She felt no remorse as she watched the death and destruction of her home.

"They deserved it, didn't they?" said an amused voice beside her. Alice smiled to herself, nodding. She knew who was there. Besides, she'd already done away with all the _other_ Wonderland traitors. Only _he_ was still alive.

"Hello Cheshire," She said politely, not wanting to feel rude, "How are you?"

The Cat chuckled, "Well, my dear. Now, come on. We must be going." And with that, he flicked his tail and started walking in the opposite direction. Alice scrambled to get up, chasing after the Cat.

"Where are we going Cheshire-Puss?" Alice asked, keeping pace with the Cat. Its stripes faded colour, changing into a dark blue and electric orange. The colours contrasted _just right_, but were still terrible to behold.

"Somewhere," He said cryptically. Alice made a face.

"When will we get there?"

"Today? Tomorrow? Never? Forever? Who knows?" The Cat grinned wickedly, "All I know is what I know."

And the two walked off into the ever changing Wonderland. It was clear to Alice that she'd never go back to her parents and sisters. She found herself not minding. She didn't need them. She didn't need _anyone_.

All she needed was the blissful insanity.

***

**Earth**

"She's still smiling," sighed Dr Eriksten. The nurse shook her head sadly. She was such an innocent girl. She didn't belong in this horrible place. She wasn't mentally unstable. She was only a little girl too far gone in her own world.

"Has she said anything today?" She nurse asked, anxious to see if the young girl had talked again. They were all hoping she would eventually wake herself up.

"She did say one word," The Doctor said, "Cheshire."

The nurse frowned, "Does that make any sense? How does that relate to any of this?"

"I don't know Eloise," said Dr Eriksten sagely, running a hand over his face, "All I know is that she needs to wake up. She can't stay in dreamland forever." He was losing confidence with his patient. She'd been here too long.

"Doctor!" gasped Eloise, "Please! She's only a little girl! Don't be so cruel." The nurse gazed fondly into the little girl's room. She'd come to love her like a daughter. "She will wake up, I know it."

"You can't know the future Eloise," Dr Eriksten said sternly, "If she was going to wake, don't you think she would've already? It's been three years! Three!"

Tears welled up in the aging nurse's eyes, but she did not let them fall. "You can at least hope Doctor. For her sake." Dr Eriksten sighed heavily, lowering his head.

"I do Eloise. Every day." And with that, he walked away. Eloise shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. She turned to the young girl's door.

"Goodnight little Alice," She whispered, "Sweet dreams." And she walked off, leaving only the clicking of her stilettos behind her.

In her bed, the ten year old Alice furrowed her brow, the smile leaving her face. Her lips began to form words, the sounds coming out clear, but in a whisper.

"No forever. Only _always_."

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A/N: Liked it? Hated it? Review this and Alice won't kill you. This story took forever, but I'm immensely proud of it. Everything came out so naturally, like it was meant to be. Plus, music helps. If any of you don't get this story, then you're obviously not Wonderland material. If you did get it…then put it in a review as well. :)

--Breathless Tomb--


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